Life of Crime
by vonhelvete
Summary: A new crime duo has been formed! Follow Team Rocket agents Magne and Tora as they embark upon their quest to plot, swindle, terrorise and, of course, steal Pokemon. Set in Kanto.
1. New Evil

Author disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon- fact. But I do own my characters Magne, Tora and Antero.

Chapter One: New Evil

Giovanni reclined in his chair, listening to his Persian's low purring as he stroked it's head. His office door clicked as it swung open, and the sound of shuffling feet could be heard. He paused mid-stroke and smiled to himself.

"Explain yourself." There was a series of unidentifiable murmurs and mumblings from the entrant, and Giovanni lost his patience. He spun around in his chair and slammed his fists onto his desk. "I said explain yourself!" He spat, eyes blazing. The short, pudgy man who stood before him quivered, sweat beading on his forehead.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry boss.." He stammered, wringing his hands together. Giovanni snarled.

"Sorry isn't good enough Antero. How many times have you been called in here because of your foolishness?" The Rocket member began to stutter another apology, but the boss cut him off. "Each time I have generously given you another chance, stupidly thinking that perhaps you might have some use after all, and how do you repay me? By getting yourself and your team mates into more trouble." He glared at the man, who tugged at his uniform nervously.

"W-W-We encountered some d-difficulties, sir.."

"SILENCE! I did not ask you to speak." Giovanni rose to his feet, making the agent flinch. It always gave him satisfaction terrorising those who failed him. He saw it as payback for his loss of Pokemon, and, more importantly, money. "It was a simple enough task. You were to break into that old man's house and steal his Pokemon..What is hard about that?" He strode to the window behind his desk and stared out, lapsing into silence. Antero timidly took a couple of steps forwards.

"B-Boss? If y-you'll allow me to explain.."

"No. I will not."

"Please boss..J-Just let me tell you what happened.."

"I am sick of hearing your excuses." Giovanni turned to face the terrified man before him. "You cost me time and money with your constant blundering. I have been too kind to you.."

"Yes boss..You have been most gracious.." The Rocket sank to his knees and crawled towards Giovanni. "If you give me another chance I.."

"I don't think so. You shall be severely punished for your mistakes." Antero let out a sob, and clung to his boss' jacket. Giovanni tugged it from his grasp, watching as the man crumpled to the floor wailing. He crossed to the desk once more and picked up the receiver on the video phone. The image of another black clad Rocket member flashed onto the screen. "Take Antero away." Giovanni barked, slamming the phone back onto the hook, cutting off the connection before his employee could reply. Moments later, Antero was dragged out of the office, his cries echoing down the hallway. Giovanni smirked and returned to his settled position in his chair. He didn't tolerate failure, and it must, naturally, be dealt with accordingly. He would have to send another team to clear up the mess that Antero had made. Giovanni tickled the Persian under the chin, quickly flicking through the suitable candidates in his mind. He grabbed the video phone handset once more. "Send Tora to my office at once."

Tora sat cross-legged on the floor of a deserted classroom enjoying the stillness that surrounded her. The trainee Rockets had vacated it earlier that afternoon, and it was the perfect place for her to formulate new plans that enabled her to get her hands on rare Pokemon. Butch and Cassidy had been highly praised by the boss the previous month for their successful obtaining of a bunch of Tauros from a ranch in Fuchsia City, whilst her pinching of a Scyther that very same day went almost unnoticed by their fellow criminals. It was all about those two- the dynamic duo. She could understand why Jessie and James didn't like them. She tried to clear her mind completely in order to begin a new plot when the door to the classroom opened, and a colleague stumbled inside. He bent double, trying to catch his breath whilst Tora regarded him from her position on the floor, a scowl on her face.

"Kai.. " she began.

"Yeah yeah.." he wheezed. "Don't interrupt you whilst you're thinking..I know. This is important. The boss wants to see you in his office now." He noticed her expression and shrugged. "I don't know. He just demanded that you see him. I wasn't about to ask questions." Tora swiftly got to her feet, flicked her dark hair over her shoulders and smoothed down her uniform. Kai was still panting, but was managing to stand upright. She grinned to herself, contemplating teasing him, but the thought of the boss made her decide that she would do it later when she had less pressing matters at hand. Tora slipped through the door and made her way up the corridor towards the lift that would take her to the top floor and the boss' office.

There was a knock at the door. Giovanni, who had been pouring over some maps of the Pokemon League building, looked up. "Come in!" He shouted, somewhat irritated that he had been disturbed from his scheming. He folded the maps up and put them to one side as the door opened and Tora stepped into the room.

"You wanted to see me boss?" She began, somewhat uncertainly. He nodded slowly, and indicated for her to come and stand in front of his desk. Tora did as he wanted, and stood before him, eyes fixed on the floor, so that she didn't meet his steely gaze. A minute or two passed before he addressed her.

"I expect you're wondering why I have called you here."

Without raising her eyes from the floor, she answered. "Yes boss." She paused for a moment, unsure of whether she should say anything else.

"Magne has found himself in a tight situation." Giovanni stated simply, eyes fixed upon her. Tora started, and for the first time since entering the room she looked directly at her leader.

"He has boss?" It seemed strange to think that Magne had got himself into trouble like this. He was well known for his subtlety when carrying out jobs. She remembered that he was due to be going on a mission with another agent that very day, but surely nothing could have gone wrong. She frowned. "Is this Antero's doing?" Now it was Giovanni's turn to look surprised. He sat in silence for a moment before replying.

"Well..As a matter of fact, it is." Giovanni reached down and stroked the Persian's soft fur. "How did you know?"

"I read minds?" Tora suggested. Her boss frowned, and she cursed herself for making stupid jokes. "I..Uh..Overheard some grunts talking about it this afternoon." Giovanni's stare continued to bore into her, and she wriggled uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and reclined in his chair.

"It would appear that the gossip is correct in this instance. I am currently having him bailed out of jail."

Tora blinked and blurted out. "But I thought that treatment was reserved for your favourites Butch and.." She stopped herself and hung her head. "I-I'm sorry boss." She could be such an idiot at times. She vowed to think before she opened her mouth in future. Giovanni gave a dry laugh.

"I also presume that this outburst was the subject of mindless gossip." Tora felt the heat rise in her cheeks. He regarded her until he was satisfied that he had made her feel uncomfortable enough. He cleared his throat once more. "Shall we resume what we came here to discuss?" Tora nodded mutely. "Excellent. As you seem to know already, Antero has made one mistake too many, and is being dealt with." Tora shuddered. She dreaded to think what was happening to him. "Thanks to his carelessness, I have a lot of tidying up to do, so to speak, and I want you to join Magne and make up for what Antero has cost me." Tora blinked.

"But why me boss?" She asked, before hastily adding, "What have I done to deserve being given such an important task?" Giovanni waved his hand impatiently.

"I want this doing as quickly and efficiently as possible. I could have got Butch and Cassidy to do this.." He watched her blush and shuffle her feet in embarrassment. "But their notoriety is too high. You two, on the other hand, can do this without raising unnecessary attention."

There was another knock at the door. "Yes?!" He snapped, drumming his fingers on the desk. The door was opened, and a tall man with longish purple hair was shown into the room by a Rocket guard. His Rocket uniform had been torn, and his violet locks were wilder than usual. He bowed his head.

"I'm sorry I'm not more presentable boss." He bowed as he offered his apology. "The Police Growlithe gave me a tough time." Magne glanced at the woman to his left, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"What happened?!" Magne scowled as he reflected upon the previous day's occurrences.

"That oaf Antero wasn't keeping watch properly, and fled the scene when the old man arrived home, leaving me to defend myself. He used his Ivysaur to keep me tied up until the Police arrived."

"Needless to say Antero has been punished." Giovanni said, lazily flicking a speck of dust off the arm of his chair. He rose to his feet. "Which is why I am assigning you a new partner. This is Tora, and she shall be assisting you from now on." Magne held out a hand, and Tora took it, shaking it firmly. Giovanni coughed, and once the agents had focused their attention back on him, he continued speaking. "I expect you to report to me tomorrow with a location of rare Pokemon and plan of how you will steal them. Don't let me down, or the consequences shall be severe. You may leave." Tora and Magne left the office, speechless. Magne broke the silence with a low whistle.

"Not too much pressure then?"

That is all for this time, as I must go and let my house mates feel my wrath for irritating me with such terrible music.

Don't forget to R&R, because it's always appreciated. :)


	2. Operation: Hypnosis

Author disclaimer: Still as before- I don't own Pokemon. If I did, I would be a very rich woman. I do, however, own my characters, Tora, Magne, Ragnar, Hale and Frankie.

Chapter Two: Operation: Hypno-sis

After their meeting with the boss, Magne and Tora began to devise various schemes in order to get the rarest possible Pokemon for the formidable Rocket leader.

"If we're really stuck," Tora began, "We could always pinch the Pokemon that the Pokesitter has at his house near Cerulean City. But I don't suppose the boss would be too impressed with that."

"Especially if we've only managed to get a Caterpie and a Pidgey." Magne said gloomily. He chewed on his lip, thinking hard. "There are several Pokemon breeders in these parts. I suggest we take a closer look at them." Tora nodded fervently. She crossed to one of the computers and started hammering away at the keys.

"There are two in Saffron, one on Cinnabar Island..." She scrolled down the page. "It would be easier if there was one just a little closer..Aha! There is one here in Celadon."

"What do we know about it?"

"Let's see.." Tora skimmed the information in front of her. "His name is Sam Willows, and he specialises in breeding fire type Pokemon."

"Fire Pokemon? In Celadon?" Magne frowned. Tora raised an eyebrow.

"Did you suffer a bump to the head during your ordeal?"

"What?"

"What type of Pokemon does Erika have in her gym?"

"Grass."

"Good. Now make the connection." Magne's face lit up as he understood. Tora rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the computer.

"That's clever. There's money to be made in that, especially with kids who desperately want another gym badge to add to their collection. Could be another scheme for Team Rocket.."

"Tell it to the boss, not me." She turned to face Magne. "Anyway, that's enough time wasted. Let's go check this Breeding Centre out."

The two Rockets huddled in the bushes situated in Sam Willows' garden. Tora hissed in Magne's ear, "You could have chosen a less spiky one, couldn't you?"

"Ssssh!" Magne retorted, as he pulled out a pair of binoculars and started to survey the scene. "There appears to be an indoor area dedicated to the Pokemon. That's where we need to get in." With the binoculars pressed to his eyes, Magne scanned the area again.

"Any sign of Willows yet?" Magne shook his head.

"Not yet, no. He evidently doesn't live alone with the Pokemon- must have a wife and possibly a child that we need to be aware of." Tora pulled out a notebook and scribbled the details down.

"We will have to re-visit in disguise, so that we can gain access to the house. I have the perfect idea. They wouldn't refuse us!" She clapped her hands in delight. "Come on." She grabbed at Magne's arm and pulled him out of the shrubbery. "We had best relay our findings to the boss."

Giovanni was in a good mood. Two of his employees had presented him with a feast of powerful Pokemon after a raid at the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City had been successful. He toyed with the Pokeball resting on his desk. Of course he had to keep one of them. He was the leader of the organisation after all. He felt he should be rewarded for his efforts. He released the captured Pokemon- a Machoke- into the office. Machoke growled and flexed his muscles, flashing his pointed teeth at his new master. Giovanni leaned back into the contours of his office seat, smiling contentedly. The sound of pounding footsteps in the corridor brought him to his senses, and he sat up as the door was flung open and Tora charged in, followed shortly after by Magne. He watched them. He didn't like people bursting into his office uninvited. Giovanni frowned, but let it pass. It had been an excellent day, and trivial things such as this weren't going to dampen his mood.

"Boss! We are in luck!" She was just about to tell him their plan, when she realised what she had just done. The colour rose in her face again, and she avoided his stare. "I-I'm sorry boss..I was eager to tell you what we intend to do..I didn't think.."

"Clearly you did not. Just be thankful I'm in a good mood." He shrugged. The Machoke growled again, and the pair, who realised they were not alone, shrunk away towards the door. "We obtained many powerful Pokemon today, courtesy of the nice trainers at the Fighting Dojo." He laughed quietly to himself. "This is my souvenir of the victory." He gestured towards the Machoke who was showcasing his muscles again. He threw the Pokeball from one hand to the other, watching the two of them move warily back into the room. "How about we see how powerful this Machoke is?" Magne glanced nervously at his partner.

"What? Now? In here?" he asked. Giovanni nodded.

"It's my office, and I say we shall see how powerful this Pokemon is through a battle. We'll fight your Pokemon against mine. Use one Pokemon each." Magne glanced at Tora, who was shuffling her feet nervously.

"Is this wise, boss?" Magne said meekly.

"Are you disobeying me?" Giovanni stopped playing with the Pokeball and dropped it onto the desk.

"I'm not sure if this.."

"I asked you a question. Are you disobeying me?!" He thundered, rising to his feet with such force that the chair was knocked backwards. Tora winced.

"N-No boss, no. Of course I'm not. I would never-" Magne gulped, hand hovering over a Pokeball on his belt.

"Good! Then get ready." He clenched his fists. Reluctantly, Tora picked a Pokeball off her belt, and Magne did the same. They glanced at each other and nodded. Out sprang a Raichu and a Beedrill, their war-cries echoing around the office.

"Are we going to play to the rules, or are we going to let him win?" Magne muttered out of the side of his mouth.

"It's not a question of **allowing** him to win." Tora hissed back, "Machoke was trained by the Dojo members- we **can't **win!"

"Machoke- use your low kick on that Raichu." The Pokemon beat his chest and flew into action. Raichu stood her ground, sparks flying off her cheeks.

"Raichu, dodge Machoke's attack and give him a quick Thundershock!" Tora shouted. Raichu began to move, but the fighting Pokemon's reflexes were so fast, she caught a blow from one of his powerful feet. Raichu yelped, and skidded along the floor.

"Finish it off with Seismic Toss!" Giovanni commanded.

"Beedrill! Stop Machoke from getting to Raichu." Magne yelled. "Fly around his head." Beedrill buzzed angrily and flew in circles around Machoke. Machoke stopped in his tracks, following the Beedrill's every move. He began to waiver on the spot, eyes sliding out of focus. Magne smirked. "He's confused!"

"Machoke, use Focus Energy!" Giovanni cried, eyes flashing wildly. Machoke stood rigidly for a moment or two. Beedrill ceased his buzzing and hovered, regarding the Machoke carefully. "Now.." Giovanni sneered, "Use your Karate Chop to knock Beedrill out of the sky." Machoke roared, swiping at Beedrill with lightning speed, who barely had time to react before he crashed to the ground, unable to fight.

"I did say, didn't I?" Tora muttered, glancing at her partner. "Raichu, quick attack!" Raichu growled, and launched into the attack.

"Machoke, Mega Punch!!" Machoke raised a fist, and delivered a stunning upper cut to Raichu. Tora flinched as her Pokemon hit the ground. The boss smirked, nodding his head approvingly at the latest addition to his collection. Magne and Tora recalled their Pokemon gloomily. Giovanni clapped his hands together.

"I believe you were going to inform me about your plans?" He prompted, picking up the Pokeball from the desk, recalled the Machoke and lazily threw the sphere from one hand to the other.

"Uh..Yes..Yes we were." Tora began, forcing herself to concentrate on relaying the details of their plot.

"And?"

"We managed to locate a breeder of Fire Pokemon here in Celedon." Magne said, pulling out a notebook and flipping through the pages. "We are planning on getting inside the building using a disguise, in order to determine the best entry point for our robbery."

"Go on.."

"Posing as Poke-Food sales people we-" Tora was about to explain what she and Magne thought was a brilliant cover, when there was a knock at the door. Irritated, Giovanni barked a 'Come in' to whoever was on the other side. A boy of about 13 stumbled into the office, two black suited Rockets on his heels. The male Rocket pushed the kid roughly, causing him to fall forwards and land heavily on his knees. The boy cried out in pain, clutching at his wounded knee caps.

"He was found lurking around outside again boss." The female half of the duo said, watching her partner drag him to his feet, twisting his arm behind his back to prevent his escape.

"Always causing trouble, aren't you, you little rat?" Snarling, the man jerked the boy's arm again, prompting another yell.

"Let me go! I wasn't doing anything! Let me go!"

"Give me one good reason why I-" Giovanni coughed.

"Are we..Interrupting something?" the woman asked, regarding both Magne and Tora with a superior gaze. Tora scowled.

"We were informing the boss of our plan, until you and your friend came bursting in here and disturbed us." The woman sneered.

"Is that so?"

"Allow me to introduce Ragnar and Hale." Giovanni said, gesturing towards the pair. "They're _executives_." Tora felt his eyes boring into her, and she squirmed. In her frustration, she hadn't noticed the shiny gold badges that were pinned to their uniforms, and, as a result, she had said something she knew she was going to regret. She mumbled an apology and fell silent. Giovanni turned his attention towards Ragnar and the boy in his grip.

"What do you suggest we do about this intruder?" Ragnar gave a coarse laugh.

"I say we teach him a lesson.." He punctuated his comment by giving the boy's arm another twist.

"Might I suggest.." Hale began, "That we throw him in with the trainees, seeing as he takes so much of an interest in our work.."

"I'll never join your stinking team!" the boy said, struggling to free himself from the vice like grip of Ragnar. "You're just a bunch of cowards who steal from people because you aren't good enough to catch your own Pokemon!"

" Hey kid, watch your mouth." Ragnar snarled.

"Do you have a name, boy?" Hale asked. The boy sniffed.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because you don't have any choice."

"What are you talking about?! I don't have to say anything!"

"You don't have any choice.." Hale repeated, nodding to Ragnar who picked the Pokeball from his belt and released the Pokemon within. A Hypno stood before them, pendulum in one hand, poised for attack. Magne watched carefully as the Hypno started to swing the pendulum slowly from side to side, chanting eerily to himself. The boy fought to keep his eyes open, but succumbed to Hypno's hypnosis attack. His head fell forward onto his chest.

"That's clever.." He thought, "Really clever. Perhaps..Perhaps Tora and I could use this technique on the Pokemon breeder..It would be far more effective than just attempting to sneak into the house." He grimaced at the memory of Antero deserting him at the old collector's house.

Hale smirked. "Now..Tell us your name." The boy lifted his head, and stared out with blank eyes.

"My name is Frankie."

"Very good. We shall be taking care of you now Frankie. This is your home." Hale turned to Giovanni. "We will take him down to Rey. When this boy comes out of his trance, he shall be furiously loyal to you and Team Rocket."

"Flawless work, as usual." Giovanni said. The executives bowed their heads, feigning modesty. Through their hair, Tora could see that they were grinning contentedly, and her heart sank. Their execution of the hypnosis was perfect- she couldn't see herself and Magne being able to beat that. Hale and her disturbing partner Ragnar slunk from the room, Frankie and Hypno in tow. She could feel the boss' eyes back on her.

"Your plan?"

"Yes..Well..It's.." Tora stammered, the heat rising to her face.

"If I may, boss.." Magne took a step forward as he spoke, "I would like to propose a slightly different course of action." Tora stared at him.

"What..?" Magne waved his hand at her, and she fell silent.

"I would like to introduce Operation: Hypnosis."

Long chapter this time, but I felt bad for not updating this sooner. Sucks for deadlines, eh? Hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget that R&Ring is good, and should be done without second thought. ;)


	3. Feeling Drowzee?

Author disclaimer: ...I still haven't managed to claim ownership of Pokemon, and therefore every character that is included ain't mine, except for those I have mentioned previously, plus Sam the Pokemon breeder and Leon.

Thanks to Flameboo and Ekaswede for the pointers, and making me more aware of grammatical errors.

**Chapter Three: Feeling Drowzee?**

"O-Operation Hypnosis?" Tora asked, wrinkling her brow. Magne nodded.

"That is what I said."

"Hmm." Giovanni remained motionless, watching Magne carefully, apparently considering whether or not to let him have his say. "Very well. Explain."

"In light of recent events," Magne began, grinning a little as he caught Tora's eye. "I believe that this plan will be far more effective than just a simple disguise. After all, disguises can be broken. But if we _hypnotise _the breeder into giving us some Pokemon..."

"But Magne..We don't **have **any Pokemon that know Hypnosis. How's our plan going to work without that minor detail?" Tora folded her arms and scowled at him.

"We can borrow one that does." Magne replied simply, undeterred by her irritation.

"Another problem- who's actually going to **let **us use their Pokemon?"

"I can think of plenty of people."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Go on, name five people who will lend us their Pokemon. I bet you can't even give me one."

"Ha! You'd be wrong! There's-"

"SILENCE!" Giovanni roared. "I don't care **how** you steal the fire Pokemon from the Breeding Centre, just so long as you do it!" He pointed to the door. "Get out. I don't want to see you two again until you're ready to present your takings to me." The boss turned his back on them. Tora shot Magne a venomous look. He shrugged.

"Leon's one." Tora let out an exasperated cry and stalked out of the office, Magne on her heels, snickering to himself.

* * *

The two of them descended into the basement of the Team Rocket Celadon HQ. Leon was usually found in the laboratory, pouring over the latest gadgets and computer technology that would aid the agents in their thievery. Magne stretched out a hand and gently pushed the thick steel door open, allowing Tora in first before he followed. He spotted the cloud of blue tinged smoke rising slowly from behind a gigantic computer monitor. Magne cleared his throat audibly, which was punctuated moments later by a surprised squeak. Leon's head appeared from around the side of the monitor, a small scowl playing on his lips. His stony expression changed when he realised who was stood before him, and he jumped to his feet and rushed to greet his old friend. _Same as always_, thought Magne, eyes passing over Leon's trademark ponytail, black rimmed glasses and the cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth.

"I haven't seen you down here for a while!" Leon said as he shook Magne's hand vigorously. "You haven't been condemned to the confines of the lab, have you? Leon chuckled, and took a drag on his cigarette, the smoke enveloping Magne as it was expelled moments later. "So why **are** you here?" He pushed his glasses up onto his head, rubbing his tired eyes. "And who's the girl?" Leon nodded towards Tora.

"That is Tora." Magne explained. "She's my new partner."

"Of course..Antero's replacement. Does anyone know what happened to him? Some say that he is locked up deep in the bowels of the HQ, and that his tortured screams can be heard echoing around the labs late at night..."

"Leon, you watch too many horror films." Leon laughed loudly.

"I guess you're right.. But it's a real hoot to scare the new kids with tales of terror and bloodshed! You should see their faces..."

"In answer to your question," Magne said quickly, cutting Leon off before he could say anything else. "I am here to ask you for a favour." Leon frowned, pushing a stray strand of chestnut coloured hair behind his ear, and cocked his head to one side.

"A favour?" he repeated, a little confused. "What sort of favour?"

"I'd like to borrow one of your Pokemon, if possible. Your Poliwhirl, to be exact." Leon shook his head.

"Sorry buddy, no can do. I was forced to give up my strongest Pokemon when I became a lab rat. Handed 'em all over to the executives for re-distribution amongst the agents." Magne's face fell. He had relied upon Leon being able to provide them with his Poliwhirl, but since he couldn't, he and Tora were back to square one. Leon sighed and extinguished his cigarette, throwing it into the overflowing ashtray. "I wish I could help, but all I have left is Magnemite and a runt of a Drowzee..."

"Did you say Drowzee?" Tora materialised at Magne's side, eyes gleaming triumphantly. Leon nodded.

"I did, yes."

"Excellent. We'll take it instead." Leon regarded her carefully, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. He shrugged.

"That's fine. But why are you two asking for my Pokemon? Haven't you got your own you can use?" He patted his lab coat pockets, trying to find his packet of cigarettes and lighter. Magne gestured to the desk where the two items in question lay on top of a pile of thick, rather complex looking books. Leon darted to the desk and snatched them up greedily.

"We need a Pokemon that knows Hypnosis." Magne explained as Leon pulled out a slim, white stick and popped it into his mouth. "Tora and I are going to be raiding a breeding centre here in Celadon, and we intend to force the breeder to hand the Pokemon over to us by controlling him through Hypnosis." Leon lit the cigarette and puffed away on it, blue smoke filling the air once more.

"Sounds like a plan. You come up with that all by yourselves?"

"He got the idea after watching Executives Ragnar and Hale at work." Tora interjected, stopping Magne from opening his mouth and taking the credit for the plan. Magne protested loudly, but Tora ignored him. Leon shrugged and slipped his glasses back onto his nose.

"Still, it's better than what I could have come up with. I'm in my element when surrounded by gadgetry..." Leon trailed off, his eyes misting over. He sighed heavily. "Ah well... I'll get you the Drowzee. I just need to remember where on earth I've put it. I know it's around here somewhere..." Tora raised her eyebrows and rubbed her forehead in despair. She pointed to his belt.

"Perhaps it's closer than you think." Leon glanced down and grinned sheepishly. He pulled one of the Pokeballs off the belt and tossed it into the air, releasing the creature contained within. A Drowzee materialised in front of them. It blinked a couple of times before giving a huge yawn.

"It's not particularly powerful." Leon said, leaning against the desk, idly inspecting his nails. Tora pulled a face. Magne, on the other hand, was undeterred by Leon's statement.

"It'll do. Thanks a lot Leon." Magne caught the Pokeball as it was thrown to him, and recalled the Drowzee. The Pokemon lifted its head and gave a small cry before disappearing in a flash of red light. Magne attached the ball to his own belt.

"You can keep it." Leon crushed out his cigarette. "I have no use for it here in the lab. I want electric Pokemon, 'cause they can help keep my equipment running if the power goes out!" He laughed and scuttled back to his computer. Magne left with Tora, small electronic beeps and hammering keystrokes echoing in their ears.

* * *

Tora raised a hand, her index finger poised on the doorbell. She glanced at Magne, who gave her the thumbs up. She pushed the button and waited, smoothing her suit and adjusting her glasses. It was a good few minutes before someone answered the door. It creaked open, and a pair of shining eyes peered out at them. She put on what she hoped was a charming smile and said in an overly-cheerful voice, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering whether we had the right house.. Does a Sam Willows live here?" The door opened, and a small woman stood there, a quizzical expression upon her face.

"I'm Sam Willows. Can I help?" Tora felt her jaw drop. The woman who called herself Sam blinked up at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh..I.." Tora was faltering. She hadn't expected this. The Rocket database had told her that the Pokemon breeder, Sam Willows, was male. But here before her was someone who was most definitely female. She looked at Magne, and saw that he too was as surprised as she. Tora swallowed. "We must have the wrong house... The person we are looking for is a male Pokemon breeder and-" Sam laughed musically and ran a hand through her cropped hair.

"You must mean my husband! He's also called Sam." Magne shook his head in disbelief. "And who might you be?"

Tora forced herself to regain her composure before answering. "We are sales representatives from PokeBite, the Pokemon Food company, and we were wondering whether you would be interested in purchasing some of our wares, as we know that breeding strong, healthy Pokemon is high on your agenda." Sam shook her head.

"I'm sorry..My husband and I are perfectly happy with the PowerPoke food we use at the moment." She gave them an apologetic look before proceeding to close the door.

"Wait!" Tora flung out a hand to push the door open again. "Take a look at this Drowzee." Right on cue, Magne pulled out the Pokeball containing their Drowzee, and released it. Tora scooped the small Pokemon up and held it out for Sam to see. "Before, Drowzee's eyes had lost their sparkle and the colour was drained from his skin. But after feeding it PokeBite for a month, the colour had returned and his eyes were brighter and shinier than ever! Look at his eyes." She pushed the Drowzee closer towards Sam who was peering out from a crack in the door. "Look deeply into his eyes and see how lively they are.." The Pokemon wriggled in her hands and began to chant eerily, much like Hypno had done. The door opened wider, and Sam regarded them blankly, the doubt gone from her impish features.

"Very well. I shall take you to my husband." she said flatly, eyes unblinking. "Follow me." Sam disappeared into the house. Tora squealed and clutched the Drowzee to her chest.

"This is going perfectly!" She grabbed Magne by the arm and pulled him into the house.

The home of Sam and Sam Willows was cosy, and filled with the scent of newly baked cookies. Tora felt hunger stab at her insides. She would have to make sure that she took some of them for herself once the plan had been completed. Whilst she and Magne stood waiting for the breeder himself, Tora had handed Magne the Drowzee, and instructed him to keep the breeder occupied with it until she had slunk off to find the Pokemon. She was delighted at how easily the breeder fell for their disguise and succumbed to the chanting of Drowzee. Since Magne was in control, she crept into a large glass conservatory which stretched for a good hundred metres out into the garden. There were rows and rows of cages lining the walls, and as she peered outside, she could see a vast exercise area for all of the pedigree Pokemon to stretch their legs in. Time was of the essence, as not only would Magne be bringing the two Sams out of their trances, but the boss would be growing impatient. She scanned the area, locating Pokemon worthy of being stolen. Her eyes fell upon an egg that was lying in an incubator off to her right. She crossed to it and stared down at the rich, shimmering red of the shell with its delicate flecks of yellow and orange. Tora made up her mind- she **had **to get this egg, no matter what. She carefully lifted the lid of the incubator and took the egg in one hand. It was hot to touch, and she cursed violently as she burnt her fingers. Tora pulled out a woven cloth bag and popped the egg inside, slinging it over her shoulder before proceeding to nurse her burns. There was a low growl from behind her. Slowly, Tora turned around and found herself being confronted by a Growlithe, its teeth bared, hackles raised. She blanched, and started to run, the Growlithe hot on her heels. Tora tossed a Pokeball into the air, releasing her Raichu.

"Raichu, zap it with your Thundershock, and fast!!" she commanded, clutching at the bag containing the egg as she ran. Raichu obeyed, and sent a stream of electricity towards the rampaging Growlithe. It yelped, and keeled over, stunned. "Raichu, come on! We have to get out of here!" The Raichu nodded and scurried after her mistress. Tora flew back into the room where Magne was keeping an eye on the breeder and his wife. "Magne, let's go. NOW." She sprinted out of the door, and he followed, Drowzee still in his arms.

"What's the rush?" he asked, as he levelled with her.

"Two words- Guard Growlithe." she saw him shudder. "I thought that would be your reaction." she said, grinning.

* * *

Giovanni sat rigidly in his high-backed chair, clenching and unclenching his fists. He was frustrated with the lack of Pokemon being brought into the HQ. He wanted consistency in the thefts- a steady flow. Having an off day was not an option. There was a knock at the door. He raised his eyes slowly and barked a "Come in!" at whoever wished to see him. The agents Magne and Tora entered the room, and he spotted the brown sack in Tora's hands.

"You have something for me?" he said, holding out his hands greedily. The agents nodded, and Tora crossed to place the sack in his hands. _Perhaps things are taking a positive turn, _he thought as he roughly tore the sack open. The egg rolled out onto the desk. _It would appear not. _He snarled and threw the egg back at them. Magne rushed forwards and caught it, pulling it tightly to his chest. He winced at the heat of the egg penetrated his shirt and burnt his skin.

"I asked you to bring me a Pokemon." Giovanni began, eyes flashing dangerously. "I have no use for an egg."

"But.."

"You two have failed in this simple task. I am beginning to think that I have made a mistake trusting you with such responsibility."

"It won't happen again, boss.." Magne and Tora bowed their heads, deciding that it would be better not to argue with him. Giovanni ground his teeth.

"It had better not. I don't wish to have another set of failures on my hands like agents Jessie and James."

_Ouch! _Tora thought. She wouldn't have called them failures- just unlucky in many of their attempts at pinching Pokemon. She and Magne left the office in silence.

"I suppose we had better come up with a better plan.." she said finally, looking gloomily at the egg in Magne's arms. He shrugged.

"For the time being, yes. But I don't think we should forget about this egg completely. It still has to hatch, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember..."

"I shall take it down to the labs and see what the learned ones have to say about it. Maybe they can tell us what this egg will give us? You can join me if you wish." She nodded. Perhaps the egg wouldn't turn out to be a complete failure after all.

* * *

That's all for now. I apologise for the terrible puns in the last two chapter titles- I have clearly been watching too much of the anime, and had to get it out of my system. And no- it isn't a legendary Pokemon in the egg. Be realistic! ;) R+Ring is appreciated, as always! 


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